Coin-controlled vending-machine.



E. A. BOLEN.

com CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

- APPLICATION FILED OCT. 26. I912. 1 1%,",

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Patented May 25, 1915 I merson F 1 oIen 611mm wfries 565:

W m M E. A BOLEN. COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25, I9I2.

Patented May 25, 1915.

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, EMERSON A. BOLEN, OIE MORRIS,- ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO NORTH WESTERN NOVELTY OOMPANY, OF MORRIS, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

COIN-CONTROLLED VENDING-MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1915;.

Applicatioli'filcd October 26, 1912. Serial N0. 727,820.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, EMERSON A. BoImN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at to machines for vending packaged articles such as boxes of matches and the like.

Amongtheobjects of my invention is to provide a machine of the character described whiehis attractive in appearance, small 1n size, simple arid rugged in construction, not liable'to-get out of order, and positive and eflicient in" its operation.

The present application relates P31116117 larly to coin controlled apparatus and combinations of thesame with a vending machine, and ma divisional-application filed by-me December 8th, 1913, serially numbered 806,989 and entitled Dispensing apparatus, I have described, illustrated and claimed the vending machine per $6.

In the drawings wherein I have shown an embodiment of my invention in a machine for vending boxes of matches Figure 1 is a vertical section from front to back of the machine taken on line 1 1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a vertical section transversely through the machine taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 33 of Fig. 2, showing certain of the parts in inverted plan view; Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of the fragment of the mechanism as seen from below; and Fig. 5 is a perspective detall, with parts broken away, showing the delivery mechanism as seen from above.

My present invention, in some of its features, may best be embodied in a structure providing two vertical storage receptacles or compartments for the packages, from which said storage receptacles deliveries may alternately be made. I have accordingly shown my invention embodied in such form of structure, although it will be clear that a single compartment construction might be employed with a retention of some of the advantages.

In the specific construction 10 indicates the base casting which conveniently carries a cigar cutter 11 and a match box holder 12 to receive a sample box of matches, said casting providing in its rear portion a depression 18 forming a coin receptacle. In front of this -coin receptacle a vertical face casting 14: is secured upon lugs 15 of the base, said casting-14; carrying a top member 18 and preferably having on its inner surface a vertical rib 16 centrally disposed near the top-of the casting. Edge ribs 17 are also provided on the casting to cooperate with the side walls of the back unit.

All of the operating mechanism of the deviceis arranged in a detachable back unit 20, which provides the back-wall'21 and side walls 22-22 of sheet'metal to interfit with the base and front-wall castings, said back wall being reinforced by plate 23carrying in its lower end a lug 24 to interlock in a suitable notch 25in the base casting. \Vhen the back unit isin position as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the side walls 22, 22 fit within the ribs 17'of the-front plate, a s1ot27 in the upper end of the back wall receives an apex:

tured lug 28 projecting from the top casting 18 so that'a padlock may be readily applied to lock the coacting parts in engagement thereby to complete the closure of the device and prevent it being tampered with.

The upper portion of the space inclosed within the structure is vertically divided into two storage compartments by a central partition 30 attached to the backwall 21 and in said partition I preferably form the coin chute 31 in the form of a slot in which engages the rib 16 and which has a coin-recep.

tion opening communicating directly with a centrally arranged coin slot 32 in the front casting of the casing. A vertical strip 33 secured in the slot acts as the front wall of cut away substantially inline with the bottom of the partition 30, so as to form a transversely free slide-way and across the space beneath the slide-way I arrange a bridge plate 40 having a flat top surface and downturned side walls 41 which are secured to the side walls of' the back unit. Said bridge plate has its front portion cut away as at 42 and has in its horizontal portion a guide slot 43, separated from the opening 42 by the cam bar 44 the construction and operation of which will be hereafter described. j

, Upon the bridge plate I mount the transversely movable delivery slide member 50 which, in the specific construction shown, provides a central elevated platform or ejector part 51 having side walls 52-52' flanked by two corresponding package recesses 53 53 formed by the horizontal bottom walls 5454 and the upturned side walls 55 and 55 which also constitute the finger pieces for the operation of the slide. The slide member is longer than the casing is wide and extends through the casing from side to'side. Its arrangement is such that when it stands'at one extreme of its limit of movement, one of its delivery recesses, say. 55 registers with the storage compartment 35 thereabove; its central platform 51 substantially closes the bottom of the other storage compartment 35 and its remaining delivery recess 55 projects beyond the side wall 22 of the casing to present any package that may be contained therein in position for easy removal from the slide. It will therefore be apparent that in the absence of. any coin-controlled locking mechanism the slide could be slipped back and forth 'at pleasure, each excursion of the slide from one limit of movement tothe other delivering. a package from within the storage receptacle to a position exteriorly accessible from one side of the casing and such delivery taking place alternately with respect to the two storage receptacles'. j

The structure providing the platform and delivery recesses is preferably made integral, and in the form shown in Fig. 2, the walls 54, 54, have, on their under side, ribs 56, 56' to engage in the guide slot 43, but

the space underthe platform is left unobstructed for the reception of the coin-controlled releasing mechanism to be described. Guide pieces 57 and 57 secured on the ribs 56, 56 serve to limit the throw of the slide,

member by contacting with the side walls 41 of bridge member 40, and they also serve to retain the slide against vertical displacement with respect to the bridge member.

It will be observed with respect to Fig. 2 that the Width of the platform 51 is greater than the limit of movement of the slide structure, so that some portion of said plat-.

form is always located directly below the coin chute. Coin-receiving slots 60 and 60' are formed in the platform 51 at points appropriate to be brought in register with the coin hute when the slide structure is respective y at its opposite limits of movement, the solid surface of the platform closing the chute at all times save when one of these two slots 60 or 60 registers therewith. The coin-controlled locking mechanism for the slide structure may be made in yarious forms, that which I prefer being located under the platform.

61 indicates a casting secured to the under side of the platform'51 and having side,

walls 6262 underlying the adjacent edges of coin slots 6060, and spaced apart from walls 52, 52,as to form in the base two coin-receiving pockets respectively defined as to their front ends by lugs 6363" extending from the side walls of the casting 61. The rear walls of the two coin pockets are formed by the edge surfaces of two pivoted dogs 65 and 65, mounted upon a pivot pin- 66 and both acted upon by spring 67 which tends to move the top of each dog in the rearward direction. Each dog has its nose 68 or 68' which coacts with the coin so eccentrically shaped that movement of the dog in the direction of spring tension tends to reduce the distancebetween the nose sliding engagement with the edge of the cam bar44. The cam bar, as best shown in -Figs. 3 and 4, provides centrally a crest 70;

opposite locking inclines 71 and 71' flanking the crest and terminating at the respective shoulders 7272, the extremities of which substantially aline with the crest; straight surfaces 7373 continuing from the extremities of ,said shoulders; and terminal releasing inclines 7474 extending beyond the line of said crest and shoulders. The operation of these parts is as follows: Assuming the slide to be at one end of its limit of movement, as shown in Fig. 3, the trigger 69 is spring-held against the crest of the'cam bar. If, now, efiort be made to move the slide to opposite extreme of movement, without the insertion of a coin, the slide may move only a short distance, for as it moves transversely the tension of spring 67 causes the trigger 69 to follow the edge of the cam bar and slip down the latching incline 71 until it strikes against Lminets to its starting position, so that the trigger 69 of the dog rides up the crest again, and a coin be inserted in the coin chute, said coin will travel down the chute and drop into the coin-receiving pocket where it lies wholly below the level of the platform between the walls 52 and 62, the coin being retained in the pocket in the position as shown in Fig. 4 where it is interposed between the lug63 and. the nose 68 of the dog 65. blow when the slide is moved transversely the presence of the coin interposed between the nose of the dog and the opposing abutment 63 prevents the trigger 69 from following the edge of the cam bar 44, so that said trigger passes by the shoul der 72 without striking it and the full movement of the slide may be effected. As the slide approaches its further limit of movement the trigger 69' rides along the releasing incline 74, so that the dog is forced over against the restraining action of its spring, remmving its nose from restraining relation with respect to the coin and freeing the coin to drop through the space between the nose of the dog and the opposinglug 68. into the coin receptacle 13 in the base of the structure.

It will be apparent now that in whichever extreme of position the slide may stand, the insertion of a coin frees it for movement to its other extreme of position and automatically conditions the mechanism to receive another coin to permit arr-opposing movementof the slide back to its original posi-' tion, so insuring that delivery will be made first onone side of the machine, from one storage-receptacle, andthen on the other side of the machine from the other storage receptacle, the same coin chute centrally located, serving to deliver coins alternately to thtwo controlling means. The action is positive, the parts are simple, and the slide action is very free. As a further refinement, the relation of the partsis such that in case a second coin is sent down the chute 31, while the first is engaged between the lug 63 and nose 68 (Fig. 1, dotted lines), said second coin strikes the first and passes thence under the lower edge of the strip 33 and out through perforation 80 to be returned to the owner. The strip 33, however, extends ,low enough to prevent discharge of a coin which rests upon the platform '51 so that a coin so resting will fall into dotted-line position (Fig. 1) as soon as slot is brought thereunder.

As best shown in Fig. 2 I prefer that the parts be so proportioned with respect to the packages to be sold that the delivering movement of the slide shall not completely move the package contained in the exposed delivery recess from under the edge of the package next above it in the storage receptacle, so that if one should fail to remove a package which is positioned for delivery it will not block the operation of the machine.

While I have herein described in some detail a particular embodiment of my invention, which I have found to be practical and advantageous, and some of the details whereof I may claim for their specific advantage, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous changes in the structure and the arrangement might be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a coin controlled slide, having a coin pocket therein; a guide,

for said slide, having a fixed cam bar; and

a coin disabled dog, engaging said cam bar, locking the slide in the absence of a coin and on the continuous movement of the slide moved by the cam tocoin release position.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a coin controlled slide, having a coin pocket therein; a guide,

for said slide, having a fixedcam bar; a

coin disabled dog, normally in contact with said cam bar; a stop, on said cam bar, engaged by the dog in the absence of a coin; and means, on said cam bar beyond said itop, to move the dog into coin release posiion.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a coin controlled slide, having a coin pocket therein; a guide, for said slide, having a fixed cam bar; a coin disabled dog, one part of which is normally in contact with said cam bar, another part of which extends into the coin pocket; a projection, on said cam bar, for moving said dog into position to be engaged by a coin when the slide is in coin-receiving position; a sec- 0nd projection, on said cam bar, engaged by 1 said dog at the end of its movement to release the coin; and a stop, on said cam bar intermediate the two projections and engaged by the dog in the absence of a coin.'

4. The combination of a coin controlled slide; a support therefor; coin disabled looking means, carried by the slide, said support having a slot therein to receive a projecting part of said locking means; said support at the edge of the slot being camshaped, to coact with said projecting part. 5. The combination of a coin controlled slide; a support therefor; coin disabled locking means, carried by the slide, said support having an opening therein to receive the coin when released and a slot therein to receive a projecting part of the said locking means; said support at the edge of the slot being cam shaped to coact with said projecting part.

6. The combination of a coin controlled slide; a base part; a support, for the slide, coacting with the said base part to form a coin receiving chamber; coin disabled locking means, carried by theslide, said support having an opening therein to permit the passage of a coin therethrough when released and a slot to receive a projecting part of the said locking means; said support atthe edge of the slot being cam shaped to coact with said projecting part.

7. The combination of a coin controlled slide; a support therefor; coin disabled locking means, carried by the slide, said support having a slot therein toreceive a projecting part of said locking means; said support at the edge of the slot being cam shaped to. coact with said projecting part; and a guide, carried by said slide andextending through the said slot to overlie the-under edges thereofa r 8. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a coin controlled slide, having two coin pockets therein,

adaptedto alternately register with a single coin chute when the slide is in one or the other'of its two extreme positions; a guide, for said slide, having a fixed cam bar; coin disabled dogs, in said coin pockets, normally spring pressed in contact with said cam bar, locking the slidein the absence of a coin and moved. by the cam on continuous movement of the 'slide to coin release position.

9. The combination or a coin controlled slide, longitudinally movable into, two ex-' treme positions; a support therefor; a lock carried by said slide, coin disabled to permit slide movement in one direction; a second independent lock, carried by the slide, coin disabled to permit .movement of the slide in the opposite direction; a vertically disposed coin pocket. associated with each of said locks and carried by t-he slide; and a single coin chute, registering with one ofsaid pockets when the slide is in one extreme position and with the other when the slide is in the opposite extreme position.

10. The combination of a coin controlled slide, movable into two extreme positions; a fiat support therefor; said slide having a raised centralportion; a lock, positioned in.

said raised portion, coin disabled -to permit slide movement in one dlrectlon; and a second independent lock, earned by said raised portion, coin disabled to permitnmovemeut of the slide in the opposite direction.

11. The combination of a coin controlled slide, having a central raised portion, and movable into two extreme positions; a flat support therefor; a lock, positioned said raised portion, coin disabled to permit slide movement in one direction; a second independent lock, positioned in the .said raised portion, coin disabled to permit movement.

of the slide in the opposite direction; a coin pocket, associated with each of 831d coin locks and positioned in the raised portion of the slide.

12. The combination of a coin controlled slide, having a central. raised portion thereon, and movable into two extreme positions; a flat support therefor; a lock, positioned in said raised portion, coin disabled to permit slide movement in one direction; a second independent lock, positioned in said raised portion, coin disabled to permit movementofthe slide in the opposite direction; a .coin pocket, associated with each of "said locks and positioned in the raised portion of the shde; and a single coin chute, regis: te r1ng with one of. said pockets when the slide 1S 1n one extreme position and with the other when the slide is in the opposite extreme position. q I I In a machine of the character described, the comblnation of a casing, providing two storage receptacles; an'interposed coin chute; a slide, extending through the casing from side to side below the storage receptacle, said slide having a raised central; portion movable alternately beneath thesaid storage receptacles; and two independent, coin disabled locking means, carried in said raised portion; a coin pocket, for each'said lock and [positioned in the raised portion of the slide and movable alternately into regis-' ter'with the said coin chute y 1 1. In .a machine of the character described, the combination of a slide, having a side walls spaced from the sidewalls of the table to provide two, coin receiving pockets; and a coin disabled slide lock, positioned in each of said pockets,

16,. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a casing, providing twov separate storage. compartments;

abridgeplate, spanning saidcasing below said compartments; a slide, transversely movable on said bridge plate, providing a central platform, flanked by delivery recesses, said slide being movable to bring either delivery recess into register with one storage compartment, and the platform into register with the other storage compartment,

and the remaining recess into exposed position-beyond'the wall of the casing; and two independent coin controlled locking means,

carried by said central platform, and adapted to register alternately with said coin chute.

17. {The combination of a coin controlled slide, a fiat plate supporting the same, a ver tically positioned, coin disabled dog pivoted on a horizontal axis and positioned Within a vertically disposed coin receiving pocket in said slide, said plate having a slot formed therein, elongated in the direction of slide movement, a finger projecting from said dog into the slot, a spring carried by the slide and coacting with said dog to normally force said finger into contact with one side of the slot, the side of the slot in engagement with said finger beingcam shaped substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

18. The combination of a coin controlled slide, a fiat plate supporting the same, two vertically disposed coin receiving chambers in said slide, a vertically positioned coin disabled dog in each of said chambers, said plate having formed therein a slot elongated in the direction of slide movement, a finger projecting from each of said dogs into the said slot and normally spring pressed into engagement with one side thereof, the side of said slot in engagement with the said finger being cam shaped and provided with a projecting part at its longitudinal center for alternative engagement by the said fingers'to hold the dogs in coin receiving position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

W. Linn ALLEN, MARY F. ALLEN. 

